Frustration

Standard

So today was a day of hindsight. You know the phrase… hindsight is 20/20. I could’ve kicked my own ass all the way to the moon and back, all day, every day, for the next fucking week. I just wanted to smack myself on the forehead and be like “What the fuck Sarah! You knew better!” all day.

Numero Uno.

Awhile ago, my coworker got a promotion and her position opened up. I thought about it and in the end I decided I didn’t want to go for it. A particular part of that position I wanted nothing to do with, even though I wanted to learn the rest of it and I love(ed) my current job. So I declined to apply and started helping out where I could. After a (long) time, we finally started interviewing for the position and it was filled. I kind of winced when I figured out who had gotten it, but whatever, I just wanted to do my job.

Well, now I wish I had just gone for that position. The things I wasn’t sure I was ready for, I’m now doing. The guy who got the job, isn’t catching on too quick, and most of the customer service issues that should be handled by a “manager” of sorts, end up falling to me. I’ve been trying to keep my chin up, the best I know how, but it’s getting frustrating. I understand that it takes a while to be trained but honestly, most of the issues I’m coming across, should be common sense issues, or even customer service related. I’m trying to be understanding.

Today though, I think I hit my breaking point. A minor situation went south really fast, and the new guy ended up yelling (and being completely rude and unprofessional) at a customer. One of my coworkers and I listened with our jaws on the ground. I mean, what do you do when your “manager” is spazzing out? We decided to take it to the next manager up right away.

The only reason the situation was controlled, was because myself and 2 other coworkers played damage control. One of those coworkers is also new and handled the situation BEAUTIFULLY, the other one was with the customer and smoothed over the situation for the company the best he could. So while I’m sitting there, explaining what to do and at the same time trying (and failing) to catch up on my own work, I just kept thinking, “I could do a better job than him, this situation shouldn’t have gotten this far.”

I don’t know, I really want to trust my (gen) manager’s judgement, but all of us are struggling pretty bad right now, and none of us seem to have any faith in the new guy. However, he’s supposed to be my direct manager but he gets so incredibly worked up over the littlest things, and now, for the 2nd time, has lost his cool with a customer. There’s a point where I stop being frustrated and start being scared. Is this how it’s going to be now? Am I just going to keep covering for him and handling his problems? Is damage control going to be part of our job duties when he gets too flustered? The issue today was such a minor one and he completely lost it. How can I trust that he will be able to lead the office when he tweaks out over an issue a quarter as frustrating/serious as what I tackle daily?

I don’t even understand how the position is laid out either. How can someone be an installation manager, when they do the spreadsheet for the shop and have no industry experience? He has no idea about installs, the routes, the guys or the job. I always thought the installation manager would be the person who makes the routes, handles the problems and has a one on one relationship with the installers. (Ie: Me) I could’ve totally understood hiring someone just to do the data entry for the shop, but this new layout in the office doesn’t click with me. Unfortunately for me, I don’t get to choose.

The part that made me furious? Is that after the whole incident, after we cleaned up the mess, he ran around the office complaining that the customer called him rude. All of us just stared at him, he had to have told the story 5 times, just to be met with blank stares and awkward chuckles. I couldn’t wrap my head around how he thought his response was appropriate. I am the one who has the notorious hatred of people, not to mention the short fuse, and I have NEVER spoken to a customer, much less a complete stranger like that. While of course we did the best to head the customer off before she went to corporate, I can completely understand why she wanted to. Much more importantly, if I was talked to that way by ANYONE, I would go directly to their manager and raise unholy hell.

I don’t know what to do. I am going to talk to my (gen) manager on Friday when she comes back, but I guess the answer that everyone is predicting I’ll get is “it’s just a matter of training”. I just don’t even know where to start, he is supposed to have awesome customer service experience, but he really doesn’t know how to handle problem customers (of any sort) or do well under stress, it’s like he never worked in customer service at all. However, I’m scared that if I bring any of this up, that I’ll just upset the manager because he was her choice.

All I do know, is that without the other new girl, the one who rocked it today, I would’ve already lost my mind. Finally, I’ve hit the bottom though. I can’t handle it all, I can’t do two people’s jobs *and* tackle the crap the new guy can’t handle. I’m really burnt out, and just regretting not going after that position. To be completely honest (and this is coming from the girl who goes to work with bowel obstructions), if I didn’t adore the other girl and my reg and gen managers so much, I’d call off tomorrow. The mere thought of dealing with everything plus the new guy tomorrow gives me a migraine. Top it off? Tomorrow I’m doing it alone. It’s going to be a long day of biting my tongue and praying for more coffee.